Blog Archives

Queen Street Garden

5/31/2017

I am writing in the Queen Street Garden, a private garden for those living on the block, across the road from my apartment. I know it is a secret garden because I have a key to enter.
As I sit here, God is present amidst the trees and flowers and the fairy wind, and in the songs of the birds. Although I cherish this time alone time with God, I am aware of the privilege of being here in this secret garden on this sunny day. Very grateful. God’s grace abounds.

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Prayer time on Iona

5/29/2017

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Prayerful time on Iona. Off to Edinburgh tomorrow to visit its church. Very grateful.

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Walking with God in Scotland

5/23/2017

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     On Friday I will be on the Isle of Iona, where I will attend services at the Abbey and enjoy good food at the Argyll Hotel. That is about all I will be doing there besides, and this is a big besides, walking around with God. In traveling alone, and particularly on Iona, I intentionally let go of the most human interactions in my every day life. I don’t have to contend with anyone, certainly not anyone Iknow. With this self-chosen cleansing experience I let go judgments, and I have less to figure out or think about. Little by little the issues in my daily life lose their over-abiding importance and become less significant.
     It is difficult to put into words what happens when I walk around with God? Difficult, because it is not about words, it’s not a head task but one of the heart. It’s about being in the presence of ‘something’ ineffable, which I call God. Along the walk I may occasionally chat with God, but I find I don’t have much to say. No need; answers come.
     By the time I arrive in Edinburgh, the next stop on my walking-with-God itinerary, I trust I will remain in silence, solitude and simplicity even amongst the bustle of the city. I know that when I return home to friends and family, those human interactions will be simple. My prayer is to keep them so.

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Love and coffee

5/16/2017

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    I've posted this on my cottage by the sea blog. Of course you readers know that this morning meditation time is my prayer time. If we pray in the morning, we will pray throughout the day. A good way to live.
    Silence, solitude and simplicity are hard to catch in this world, especially when the first offerings of the day come from technology, politics, and the lure of money, or when my morning starts through the lens of computer, newspaper and TV. Friends tell me they love to start their day with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. I get the coffee part, but the newspaper part—not a good idea, at least for me. I find it almost impossible to avoid reading the headlines as I walk up the driveway with the newspaper, or commenting on them as I hand the paper, along with coffee, to my husband, who, needless to say, he is a coffee/newspaper man. Our one reprieve is that we start the morning mentioning what we are grateful for—which is often coffee and newspaper.
     While my husband continues with coffee and newspaper, I go to the Angel Room and once again commit to meditating for twenty minutes before continuing my morning routine of silence, solitude, simplicity, and, coffee. Starting with meditation is a daily challenge, but when I give myself this time with the Holy, the lure of technology, politics and money fades into the background, with less chance of taking over during the day.
     This centering time is important to me, not just personally, but for the planet. I believe this fragile, negative world we live in can only be turned around when the majority of its inhabitants feel, think and act positively, the essential ingredients for sending out love. Love and coffee.

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Fellowship of Society of St. John the Evangelist

5/9/2017

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     Last Saturday, after a year’s discernment, I was received into the Fellowship of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge. The Society, with members all over the globe, is rather unique in that its members make no physical commitments. There are no annual dues or meetings. We agree, however, “to seek to live an ordered life of prayer and service in association with the Society, and follow a Rule of Life which expresses a common commitment to faithful discipleship.”
     I prayed before making this final commitment. It would have be easy to say yes without paying attention to details. After all, who would know? God would know, and God will know if I remain active, or if I slack off.
     I felt called to make this public commitment; to put it more bluntly, I needed to make it. It is an answer to my prayer that Jesus enter my life more fully, and lead me to be His servant. I need to be connected to others trying to live for God’s kingdom, not for their own self.

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Centering Prayer revisited~

5/1/2017

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By practicing Centering Prayer I know and have come to believe that faith grows and deepens when I take time to be with God, without anything added. During this prayer time, the idea of God gets out of my head, and the spirit of God enters my heart.
Committing to a daily practice of Centering Prayer continues to be a challenge. It work best when I begin the day with twenty minutes, but sometimes I find an excuse-- too much to do, or, I want my morning coffee. Now that I’ve admitted these lame excuses, however, I find it harder to skip the practice.
This morning I was tempted, once again, to pour that early cup of coffee, fooling myself into trusting that and combination of Centering Prayer and sipping coffee might work. But I didn’t, and thanks be to God, I remained in God’s presence for longer periods of time than usual. I felt an understanding come over me. Nothing new, but from my heart, not my head I heard: Let go of pre-conceived outcomes; let go of all; let go, let God.

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Queen Street Garden

Prayer time on Iona

Walking with God in Scotland

Love and coffee

Fellowship of Society of St. John the Evangelist

Centering Prayer revisited~

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